Useful Links to Comprehensive Financial Aid Information

General Information
Credit Information
Federal Financial Aid and Related Information
Michigan Financial Aid Information
Publications on the Web
Scholarship Sources and Search Services
Student Budgeting Basics
Tuition Payment Plans

General Information

The College Board http://www.collegeboard.com/ Comprehensive information for students, parents, and educators about the admissions and financial aid processes in higher education.

Educational Testing Services http://www.ets.org/Links to financial aid resources on-line for undergraduate, graduate, and minority students, and financial aid publications. Advice on recognizing scholarship scams and reporting them.

FinAid© The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid on the Web  http://www.finaid.org Links to numerous sources of information about student financial aid, including free on-line scholarship search databases (FastWEB, SRN Express, ExPAN, MACH 25 and CASHE). Extensive information about known scholarship scams, how to recognize scams and how to report them is provided.

FastWeb  www.fastweb.com A scholarship data base of over 600,000 scholarships.  

International Education Financial Aid http://www.IEFA.org Extensive listing of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other information to assist students planning to study in a foreign country. Provided also is Information about loans for international students, including CanHELP for Canadians studying in the United States.

Mapping Your Future http://www.mapping-your-future.org Information on selecting a school, paying for your education, and planning your career. The section on paying for your education provides a 10-step guided tour through the financial aid process.

The Princeton Review http://www.ed.gov/Programs/bastmp/SGA.htm Information about financial aid for law school, business school, medical school, graduate school and undergraduate education.

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Credit Information

CardWeb http://www.ramresearch.com/ Thorough information about credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, smart cards, cash cards, ATM cards, stored value card, loyalty cards, and phone cards.

Credit Grade Calculator! http://www.hsh.com/credscorecalc.html Qualification for various loans is increasingly being done by means of "credit scoring." This is a mathematical analysis that considers many different aspects of your credit history -- late payments, delinquencies, tax liens, etc -- and expresses it as a single number, or "grade." This JavaScript calculator will "score" your credit using the number of late payments you have on various credit accounts. This is not a true "credit score," but will give you a pretty good idea of how you would fare.

Credit Matters http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/credit-report/rscredit.htm How to check your credit record and establish a good history. What to do if your credit card is lost or stolen or you are turned down for credit.

Financial Calculators http://www.moneyadvisor.com/calc/ A repository for financial calculators on the Web, including college cost calculators.

How to Dispute Credit Report Errors http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/credit-errors/crediter.htm Tips on correcting credit report errors, resolving a dispute, and adding information to your credit file. Complete addresses for the three major credit reporting bureaus are provided.

Nellie Mae http://www.nelliemae.com/ On-line debt management tools (calculators, worksheets, and budgets), pre-college planning information, and a glossary of financial aid and loan terms.

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Federal Financial Aid and Related Information

U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov News and resources for education, including the full text of many Department of Education publications. The source of federal student financial aid sites. The URL for each resource is provided for your convenience should you wish to go directly to a particular site.

Borrower's Guide to Defaulted Student Loans http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/DCS/ Information concerning what you should do if your student loan is in default.

Directory of Loan Guaranty Agencies http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/guaranty.html Address and telephone numbers of student loan guaranty agencies, by state.

Federal School Code Search Form http://www.ed.gov/BASISDB/TITLE4/search/SF The form at this site may be used to find a school's federal school code. Federal school codes are used to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) http://www.ed.gov./offices/OSFAP/Students/apply/express.html Links to FAFSA Express, FAFSA on the Web, and the paper FAFSA in PDF format.

Funding Your Education http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/FYE/ This introductory publication provides an overview of federal financial aid programs and how to apply for aid.

PIN Site http://www.pin.ed.gov/ The central online resource for obtaining and making use of the Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN provides access to your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems.

Project Easi - Easy Access for Students and Institutions http://easi.ed.gov This project is a collaborative effort among government, education, student and business leaders to assist students and their families in planning for post-secondary education, choosing among alternatives and financing these choices.

Student Guide to Federal Financial Aid Programs http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/ Information about federal financial assistance programs and how to apply.

U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service http://www.ins.usdoj.gov Information on the general naturalization process.

U.S. Selective Service System http://www.sss.gov/ Students who are required to register with the Selective Services may register on-line at this site.

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Michigan Financial Aid Information

Michigan Education Trust (MET) Fund http://www.treas.state.mi.us/college/colindex.htm Detailed information concerning eligibility and application procedures for this pre-paid tuition alternative.

Michigan Merit Award Scholarship Program http://www.treas.state.mi.us/merit/summary.htm This $2,500 merit-based scholarship for high school seniors will be first available to the graduating class of 2000. Eligibility includes attaining a designated score on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) High School Test in mathematics, reading, science, and writing.

State of Michigan Student Financial Aid http://www.Michigan.gov/mistudentaid Comprehensive information about state financial aid programs, including the "MI-Search" Scholarship Search Program, Michigan Competitive Scholarship, Michigan Adult Part-time Grant, Michigan Educational Opportunity Grant, and Michigan Work-Study.

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Publications on the Web

Cash for College www.nasfaa.org/nasfaa/static/general/public/99cashcoll.html This National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators publication explains the financial aid application process and the role of the financial aid office in the process.

College Is Possible http://www.collegeispossible.com/ A resource guide for parents, students, and educators concerning preparing for college, choosing the right college, and paying for college.

Financial Aid: You Can Afford It http://www.nasfaa.org/DoItAffordit/afforditcover.html Information and advice about finding and applying for financial aid, including an explanation of how financial aid is calculated.

Planning for College http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/children/college/college.htm Strategies to help plan for tuition and fees along with helpful charts for estimating future costs.

 A Handbook for Students in Middle and Junior High School http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/education/college-me-now/thinkcollege_handbook.pdf Students should start preparing for college in the seventh and eighth grades. Sound too early? Learn about the benefits of planning ahead for college with this booklet. Available in HTML and PDF formats.

Understanding the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
http://www.nasfaa.org/AnnualPubs/TaxBenefitsGuide.html An explanation, prepared by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, for students and families, of what the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit are, who qualifies, and how to obtain the benefits.

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Scholarship Sources and Search Services

AmeriCorps http://www.americorps.org A national service program that provides the opportunity to earn money to help pay for post-secondary education in exchange for a year of community service.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf http://www.agbell.org/financialaid/agbell_programs.cfm.cAwards scholarships to pre-lingual deaf or hard-of-hearing students who use speech and speech-reading to communicate, and who are attending or have been admitted to a college or university program that primarily enrolls students with normal hearing.

The Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid Page
http://www.college-scholarships.com/ Offers college bound students, parents, and educators easy access to comprehensive information about colleges and universities throughout the United States, a free database for scholarship searches, and SAT/ACT test preparation tips.

Financial Aid Resource Center http://www.theoldschool.org/ A collection of free scholarship search services available on the Web, as well as sources of individual scholarships. Tips on establishing a positive credit rating and a free financial aid newsletter, including back issues, also are provided.

FreSch! The Free Scholarship Search Service http://www.freschinfo.com A free, large database of scholarships (1,730+) as well as a weekly newsletter with information about various scholarships, tips on applying, and the latest changes to the Web site. Past newsletters are on-line.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program http://www.gmsp.org/main.cfm Administered by the United Negro College Fund. Will provide scholarships and fellowships for outstanding low-income African American, Native American, Hispanic American, and Asian American students to attend the undergraduate and graduate institutions of their choice. This site provides information concerning the awards' criteria and selection process. An application may be downloaded from the site.

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation http://www.marine-scholars.org One-year undergraduate scholarships are offered for the children of active duty, reserve, or former U.S. Marines.

Information for the American Indian Prospective College Student http://www.oiep.bia.edu/scholarships.htm

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P.L.A.T.O. http://www.plato.org A free scholarship database of more than 150,000 awards. Other sources of education financing also are provided.

Rhodes Scholarship Program http://www.rhodesscholar.org/info.html Eligibility criteria and application information for the scholarship program, which provides full support for two years of study at Oxford University for qualified U.S. citizens.

Jackie Robinson Foundation http://www.jackierobinson.org/ Provides four-year scholarships of up to $5,000 annually for eligible minority high school seniors accepted by a four-year accredited college or university.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Post-doctoral Awards for Minorities
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar3.html Sources of financial aid for African American, Hispanics, Native Alaskans (Eskimos or Aleuts), Native Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesians or Micronesians).

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Post-doctoral Awards for Women
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar7.html Sources of financial aid for women at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Student Services, Inc. http://www.studentservices.com/search/ A free database of more that 180,000 scholarships, grants, fellowships, and loans for college students living in the United States.

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Student Budgeting Basics

66 Ways To Save Money  http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/66ways/index.html Practical ways to cut everyday costs on transportation, insurance, banking, credit, housing, utilities, food, and more.

The Budget Book http://www.westfortcu.on.ca/FINANCE/budgetbk.htm Step-by-step guidance in developing a budget and using it in personal financial planning.

Learn 2Balance Your Checkbook http://www.learn2.com/04/0433/0433.html The objective of this 2torial is to find the discrepancies between your daily record and the monthly bank statement.

Live Beneath Your Means to Achieve Financial Dreams http://www.401k.com/401k/pfp/stages/personal/motivate.htm A personal budget checklist to guide you through the steps to develop a useful and user-friendly budget.

Monthly Budget Calculator/Worksheet http://www.salliemae.com/calculators/index.html An interactive calculator for assistance in setting up a personal budget.

Tuition Payment Plans

Academic Management Services http://www.amsweb.com An interest-free monthly tuition payment plan.

Tuition Management Systems http://www.afford.com A flexible range of interest-free monthly tuition payment options.

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